Cycle 30 Miles Longleaf Trace

Saturday, April 17, I'm up at 6:45 and spend the morning reading John McEnroe's "You Cannot Be Serious." After breakfast we head to Sumrall, MS, to ride Longleaf Trace, a 10 to 14 foot wide paved trail that winds over 40 miles between Prentiss and Hattiesburg. This is Mississippi's first Rails-to-Trails effort and was dedicated in June 2004. There is also an equestrian trail adjoining the bike trail that runs for 23 miles. We start in the middle third near Sumrall where we find a cute trail head.

Bob wishes he was fishing Beaver Pond

On our first ride we go east towards Hattiesburg as it is the shorter of the two directions. There is a screened overpass over I-59 and tunnels under 38th Ave. and 7th St. Much to our surprise the first 1 and 1/2 miles are a slight incline; 1 to 2 percent grade. Wow! It has been awhile since we did anything but flat. The area is gorgeous with every hardwood tree imaginable. We'd love to ride here in the fall. Dogwood blooms are all over the ground; we just missed them. The weather is gorgeous today. We take our first break around five miles at Beaver Pond. Another couple around our age coming from the opposite direction stops for the view as we are leaving.

Lily pads cover Beaver Pond

It is odd that electric golf carts are allowed on this trail. But they must pull off and stop if anyone passes in either direction--weird. We see a collage age couple in a golf cart and their parents following in another. They obey the rules and pull over and come to a complete stop as we pass them in the other direction.

We love the snazzy cup holders on the benches at the rest stop--more on these innovative convertible bench/tables later

I love this trail as there are restrooms and water every five miles! We cycle all the way to the eastern end at Gateway Southern Miss on Ole Miss campus. We go in the bike rental place for a trail map. When we ask the old gent behind the counter where to eat in town he seems surprised to find we are on our bikes. How weird in a bike shop. He tells us to go back to the first underpass, walk up the embankment and eat the best burger in MS at Mug Shots. I told him we could smell them cooking as we cycled by.



Instead we have our PB&J and fruit at the Trail Head. They are building new dorms right next door. It is a huge complex that we saw in the newspaper to the tune of $30 million. After our snack we cycle back 15 miles for a total of 30.25 miles in 3 and 1/2 hours. It was WAY FUN having hills to go down. Of course there is some 'up' too. We see lots of people on the way back. The guys on racing bikes have a funny wave on this trail.They stick one hand down as they pass by.

At several points along the trail the trees are identified with huge signs. We have heard of many and there are also quite a few we aren't familiar with. It helps pass the time as the miles fly by.



I have to hop off on the way back to take a picture of Old Glory strung across the Trace. I little further on I hop off again to take a picture of a big cedar tree on the side of the trail that local folks have started decorating like a Christmas tree. We enjoy the nice rest stops along the way but we find that if the trash can lid has blown away that stop will be swarming with bumble bees that won't leave you alone.

One of many rest stops along the trail

We're both glad to be back to the truck. Fortunately the last part is downhill and we really get to fly into the station. We put the bikes on the truck and drive to Lau-Tori's on Hwy 42 West in Sumrall near the trail head. What a great place. It is busy and everyone here knows each other. Most have just come from a funeral and they are all going to a local baseball game this afternoon. Sumrall is in the finals of their local leagues and it's a big deal.



We have one of the specials of the day--Catfish Jolie (grilled catfish with crawfish/mushroom sauce over pasta, a salad with a heavenly thick honey mustard dressing and cornbread hush puppies. We'll be back. On the way home we get a Hattiesburg paper at Chevron. The high was 82 after a low of 60. A Cardinal 5th wheel pulls in curbside. They are from Robinson, TX, and are heading back there after spending two weeks in Florida for a high school reunion. He seemed very nice and upbeat as I chatted with him. His wife appeared to be a stroke victim who lost her speech and walks with help from him. My heart goes out to both of them.

Our lunch stop at Gateway Southern Miss in Hattiesburg

The campground beagle, who I call Hattie, is still shy and will not come up to me. A Class A from Florida pulls in streetside. I go for a walk, stretch, get cleaned up and we have our Four Bean Turkey Soup. It's 7:48 p.m. and 76 degrees with 41% humidity.





Volunteer Christmas Tree

Movin' On to Hattiesburg, MS

Big Bertha the Titanium Driver at Shady Cove

Friday, April 16, I got up at 7:00 and we packed up without incident. At 10:32 a.m. we left our one-month home here in Slidell. As we pulled out the gal in the office asked if she needed to move her truck for us to make the left turn but we're okay. I get out to make sure we clear the curbside tree. The back of the RVs have a tendency to swing around farther than you think.

They don't call it Shady Cove for Nothing! And the azaleas are in bloom everywhere

Part of Bob's pre-move adjustments included putting red nail polish on our Superglide hitch. It works like a champ to let us know at a glance that we are locked in tight. I feel better after hearing Shane next door to us here tell his terrible story of his Superglide not being locked in and having his RV drop onto his tailgate. I can't imagine our 14,000 pounds crunching down on Big Bertha. Yikes!

We head north on I-59 for only 88 miles to exit 67B where we take Hwy 49 north to Shady Cove RV Park, 7836 US Hwy 49 North, Hattiesburg, MS 39402, Forrest County, (601) 268-1077. Hattiesburg's population at the last census was 45,000.

Bob fishes Shady Cove Pond

Charlene, who I made our reservation with, is on the phone when we arrive so I take the opportunity to use our restroom, as there is a keypad on the ladies room behind the office. She finally gets off the phone and her and Bob get in a golf cart (that won't start) to drive around and choose a site. Two RVs are pulling in as they head off in the golf cart. One guy runs to the rest room behind the office and actually gets in. Charlene tells us later the ladies room keypad is operating but the men's room keypad is broken. What are the odds? I had to go just as bad as that guy did I'm sure. Anyway, his truck and 5th wheel are blocking another truck and travel trailer and two cars behind them at the front entrance. He runs out and sets his car alarm off and zooms around our rig making me nervous.

While I'm waiting for Charlene and Bob to return, a little female beagle who clearly has just had pups shows up. She is skittish and won't eat my trail mix. Charlene calls her the campground dog when they return. We're all set for site #14. We pay her $150.00 for one week. She tells Bob they don't get any snowbirds here during the winter; it's too far north. They all want to be on the Gulf Coast. She gets some in May and June when the hurricane season gets going. But mostly she has pipeliners here who are all out of work right now. She put a lock on one guys trailer hitch who owes her money. First she stopped his utilities but he still didn't pay.

We set up quickly at 1:00 p.m. after we gather our wits and push the RV back a foot so our awning will open next to a big tree. Then we head to lunch. We find an O'Charley's on Hwy 98 after we circle around the University here. We both have salads; Bob's is a pecan-crusted chicken salad and I have a California chicken salad with mandarin oranges, strawberries, honey pecans and baby spinach. Our waiter is an annoying mumbler.

We try Target across the street but it is not a Super Target so we go to a nearby Wal-Mart for groceries. The area is very congested and on the way back we can't get on I-to north from the left lane so we circle around the University again on every back road and service road until we reconnect with 49.

Our last stop is Dollar General for SoBe's and Gatorades-got to have them for cycling. I walk next door to BP for Hattiesburg American newspaper; quite a small publication compared to the Times-Picayune. We get home at last around 4:45. I cut up veges, we put the bikes on the rack on the truck so we're ready to ride tomorrow. It's 5:26 p.m. and 81 degrees with 22% humidity. The high was 88 and the low was 61. We have no ABC or Fox here. Yikes!

Bob fishes the pond at the back of the campground but catches nothing. It's very shallow and seems to be about three feet low. I take a short walk but my heart is not in it. Some overnighters pull in across the road and drag out all of their BBQ stuff. That makes me tired after moving all day. We have soup, veges and fruit. It beats all that work of BBQing after such a long day.

Some camping club calls on the phone and says they are affiliated with Good Sam (who is not supposed to give out our info) so I ask if they are on the Good Sam website and she hangs up pretty quickly.